Land mine, more particularly anti-tank mine



July 23, 1963 F. BERGER LAND MINE, MORE PARTICULARLY ANTI-TANK MINE Filed June 2. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mgmw lw Inventor:- FrL i'z Eek? e July 23, 1963 F. BERGER LAND MINE, MORE PARTICULARLY ANTITANK MINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 2. 1960 fm eman' Frii z B erg e,-

3,098,440 LAND M, MORE PARTICULARLY ANTI-TANK MINE Fritz Berger, Dusseldorf, Germany, assignor to Firma Rheinmetali G.m.b.H., Dusseldorf, Germany Filed June 2, 1960, Ser. No. 33,534 Claims priority, application Germany June 4, 1959 2 Claims. (Cl. 102-8) The present invention relates to a land mine, more particularly an anti-tank mine, comprising an upper or inner and a lower or outer part which are guided so as to be capable of relative movement, and in which the fuse mechanism is actuated by the movement of the inner part relative to the outer.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a mine which combines low weight and absolute safety in operation with a particularly powerful explosive efiect.

According to the invention this problem is solved by the fact that both parts of the mine are each made of a solid compressed block of high explosive; and that an air cushion contained in a preferably toroidal piece of flexible pipe is interposed between the two parts.

Due to the use of a solid block of high explosive as the material for the construction both of the inner and of the outer part of the mine, all components e.g. made of metal or plastic which had hitherto been employed for the design of the body of the mine can be altogether dispensed with. As a result, the mine is of an exceptionally simple and light construction; alternatively, for a given weight of the mine, the elimination of all unnecessary components results in a substantially greater explosive effect.

in order to prevent the two parts of the mine, which consist of a high explosive and are therefore specially explosible, from impinging upon each other, thus rendering the mine unsafe during handling, an air cushion is included between the inner and outer parts of the mine, enclosed in a flexible pipe element. Due to its particular elastic characteristic this air cushion is at the same time especially suitable to absorb any instantaneous high pressure surges which might occur e.g. as a consequence of pressure waves caused by the detonation of explosive charges ignited in the vicinity. In making use of this property the elastic characteristic of the flexible pipe can be adapted at will to any given requirements by an adjustment of the air pressure inside the pipe element.

Further details and advantages of the invention will now be explained by reference to the embodiment illustrated in the drawing in which FIG. 1 shows a land mine constructed in accordance with the invention, in longitudinal section, and

HG. 2 is a plan view of the land mine according to PEG. 1.

The anti-tank mine shown in the drawing consists of the top or inner part 1 and the bottom or outer part 2 which are so guided one in the other that they are capable of relative movement. According to the invention both the inner part 1 and the outer part 2 are made of a weather-resistant stable explosive, e.g. of a thermoplastic explosive such as l-loltex" so-called. The disc-shaped bottom or outer part 2 of the mine is provided with a cylindrical recess 3 into which the inner part 1 of the mine is inserted in the manner of a piston so guided that it can move inside the bottom or outer part. The outside diameter of the inner part 1 is considerably smaller than that of the outer part 2; in the embodiment here illustrated it is about half as large as the outer part. Thus, if a tank drives over the mine, the latter will not be ignited before the tank has driven substantially across the outer part 2 of the explosive, thus resulting in a greater explosive and destructive effect on the tracks of the tank.

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The top of the outer part 2 of the mine is provided with a retaining ring 4 which secures the inner part 1 against movement with respect to the outer part 2. This ring 4 consists again of a pressed explosive charge resistant to the weather. After the inner part 1 has been inserted, the ring 4 is attached to the outer part 2 of the mine for example by means of adhesive tape. The outer contact surface 5 of the upper part is of convex shape in order to prevent the inner part lfrom jamming in the recess 3 of the outer part 2 when .an eccentric load is applied to the mine.

The inside space left in the recess 3 between the inner and the outer parts contains a toroidal flexible pipe or tube element 6, made e.g. of rubber, which forms a flexible cushion between the two parts of the mine, due to the air enclosed in it. The flexible pipe element 6 is furnished with a relief pressure valve 7 through which air can escape from the flexible pipe element after a pre-set maximum pressure has been exceeded. The pressure relief valve 7 is set in accordance with the required operating load on the mine.

The movable top or inner part 1 has a hole in the middle into which the fuse mechanism 8 of the mine is screwed. According to another proposal by the applicant, this fuse mechanism consists essentially of the fuse body 9, a clamping bush 1t] incorporating the striker 1'1, striker spring 12 and a safety sleeve 13 locking the striker. The firing cap 14 is located inside the striker 11 itself while the safety sleeve 13 provides a mounting for the firing pin 15. At the lower end of the clamping bush 10 there is the detonator 16. In addition a shearing plate 17 is provided between the clamping bush 10 and the fuse body 9. It is useful if all parts of the fuse are made of a plastic adapted to the individual requirements so that the mine is protected, as far as possible, against detection equipment. The mine is set off when the inner part v1 is depressed thereby forcing the clamping bush 10 into the fuse body 9.

A sealing ring 18 is provided between the inner part 1 and the outer part 2, in order to seal the mine on the outside. In addition a carrying handle 19, e.g. made of a flexible plastic, is provided on the outside of the outer part of the mine in order to facilitate carrying it. The outer part of the mine is provided with holes 20 so that this carrying handle will not be in the way when the mines are being stacked; the legs of the carrying handle can be inserted into these holes.

The method of operation of the proposed mine is as follows:

If the mine is subjected to a load due to a force .acting upon the top or inner part 1, the air cushion inside the flexible tube element 6 will first be compressed. This causes the inner part to be displaced downward. If the load on the mine is less than the value corresponding to the setting of the valve 7, the inner part 1 will only move downward until the air cushion is in equilibrium. The play existing between the underside 21 of the fuse and the supporting surface 22 of the bottom or outer part 2 of the mine prevents premature ignition of the mine. However, if the load on the mine exceeds the value previously set on the valve 7, e.g. when a tank passes over it, the valve will open and allow the air to escape from the pipe element 6. This will result in further relative movement of the top part of the mine with respect to the bottom part such that the end face 21 of the fuse comes in contact with the supporting surface 22 of the bottom part. When the top part 1 is depressed further, the shear plate 17-which serves as a safety device-is broken, and the clamping bush -10 is forced into the fuse body 9 so that the striker spring 12. which is originally assembled without any compression becomes compressed. At the same time the arms 23 of the safety sleeve 13 slide over 3 the oblique faces 24 of the safety sleeve 13 so that they are splayed out far enough to allow the striker 11 and the firing cap 14 to be propelled against the firing pin 15. This causes the firing cap 14 and the detonator 16 to be fired, thusdetonating the mine.

What I claim is:

1. A land mine, more particularly an anti-tank mine, comprising an inner and an outer part which are guided so as to be capable of movement relative to each other and each part is composed of a solid compressed charge of a high explosive and weather resistant stable material, a fuse mechanism in one of the parts and actuated by the relative movement of the parts, an air cushion in the form of a flexible tube element interposed between the inner and the outer parts, the outer diameter of the inner part being less than that of the outer part and the inner part being guided as a piston in a cylindrical recess in the outer part, and the outer surfaces of the inner and outer parts being exposed at all times, and a pressure relief valve is provided secured to the flexible tube element.

2. A land mine, more particularly an anti-tank mine, comprising an inner and an outer'part which are guided so as to be capable of movement relative to each other and each part is composed of a solid compressed charge of a high explosive and Weather resistant stable material, a fuse mechanism in one of the parts and actuated by the relative movement of the parts, an air cushion in the form of a flexible tube'element interposed between the inner and the outer parts, the outer diameter of the inner part being less than that of the outer part and the inner part being guided as a piston in a cylindrical recess in the outer part, and the outer surfaces of the inner and outer parts being exposed at all times, the inner part of the mine having a circumferential outer surface as a convex outer contact surface, and a sealing ring provided in the inner part at the largest diameter of the circumferential outer surface contacting also the outer part.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 11,475,049 Church Nov. 20', 1923 2,429,246 Traylor Oct. 21, 1947 2,661,690 Diels Dec. 8, 1953 2,713,466 Fletcher et al July 19, 1955 2,940,390 Bergs-trom et al June 14, 1960 3,000,302 Li-ttleton Sept. 19, 1961 

1. A LAND MINE, MORE PARTICULARLY AN ANTI-TANK MINE, COMPRISING AN INNER AND AN OUTER PART WHICH ARE GUIDED SO AS TO BE CAPABLE MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER AND EACH PART IS COMPOSED OF A SOLID COMPRESSED CHARGE OF A HIGH EXPLOSIVE AND WEATHER RESISTANT STABLE MATERIAL, A FUSE MECHANISM IN ONE OF THE PARTS AND ACTUATED BY THE RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF THE PARTS, AN AIR CUSHION IN THE FORM OF A FLEXIBLE TUBE ELEMENT INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE INNER AND THE OUTER PARTS, THE OUTER DIAMETER OF THE INNER PART BEING LESS THAN THAT OF THE OUTER PART AND THE INNER PART BEING GUIDED AS A PISTON CYLINDRICAL RECESS IN THE OUTER PART, AND THE OUTER SURFACES OF THE INNER AND OUTER PARTS BEING EXPOSED AT ALL TIMES, AND A PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE IS PROVIDED SECURED TO THE FLEXIBLE TUBE CLEMENT. 